The New Marvel: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

The New Marvel is a series that looks at the changes that the mega-comic empire made following the events of Avengers vs. X-Men and the impact that those changes have on the stories of Marvel NOW! Six issues (or more) into each Marvel NOW! title, we see what our favorite characters are up to and what to keep an eye out for in the future.

Throughout known space, a little, blue planet in the Sol system has become renowned for their continual intervention in galactic affairs. Forces have aligned against this planet, armadas and warlords have set their sights on the home of some of the mightiest heroes in the universe, but there is a force that even they pause for, a group equally renowned and feared. Be careful not to cross them, for they are the Guardians of the Galaxy.

MINOR SPOILERS

Covering Issues #0.1-5

I have a very limited knowledge of this team, having only really encountered it in the Avengers Assemble series last year and as the playable character of Rocket Raccoon in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 a couple of years ago. That being said, I’ve taken a bit of a shine to the series, but in all honesty, it feels a lot like it is just “Avengers in Space” to me, especially with the addition of Iron Man (a core Avengers member), and while an Avengers space team is certainly a logical continuation of the legacy, sometimes I wonder if a handful of heroes is enough. Space is huge, utterly vast, and (at least in the Marvel universe) full of several different species, many of whom are hostile to anything that isn’t their own. Just how can a single team expect to make much of a difference? Perhaps it is because they’re just that good at what they do.

As mentioned, there’s very little I know about the team’s background, so the information covered in Issue #0.1 was a big help in discovering just who Star Lord is in relation to his father. I do see this title as being a way to tie in galactic threats and storylines with the goings-on of Earth—especially with Iron Man’s presence on the team—but so far that seems about the only thing that is taking place in the series: protecting Earth. There’s got to be more for these protectors of the universe to investigate than the forces allied against the Third Rock from the Sun; if not, then they’re really not the galaxy’s guardians, but just an extension of Earth’s forces. Even the X-Men spent time in space, battling against injustice and dictatorship. So, what’s stopping these guys?

Going forward, though, I would like to see more exposition concerning the rest of the team members; we’ve gotten a good look at Star Lord, and Iron Man’s got his own title plus being in several Avengers titles, but the rest of the team is a bit of a mystery. There’s a bit of history to the team, but it isn’t as extensive or detailed as the Avengers, so people don’t know about them as much as they do Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. I really hope Marvel changes that, especially in light of the film version coming out next year.